Estate planning, healthy eating, brain health and disaster preparedness are among the topics of AARP Montana’s telephone town halls. Up next: On March 19, a discussion on fraud and impostor scams.
For the first time since AARP began publishing the Scorecard in 2011, more than half of Medicaid long-term care dollars nationwide for older adults and people with physical disabilities went to home- and community-based services instead of nursing homes and other institutions.
Helena, Mont., Nov. 10, 2023—Montanans who provide care for veterans spend on average $11,500 of their personal income on out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving each year—1.5 times higher than what other family caregivers spend ($7,242), according to AARP data. And 43 percent of veteran and military caregivers experienced at least one financial setback such as having to take on more debt or dip into personal savings, according to research from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.
Ahead of the winter season, AARP Montana has set up a resources page so residents with low or fixed incomes can see if they’re eligible for help through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or other heating programs.